tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-117192822011-10-26T16:25:59.275-04:00<img src="http://lh4.google.com/_a0RpDGyrYsc/Raw8lNOLAcI/AAAAAAAAANo/dnUVMUYBFns/s1600/Logo.jpg" height="200" width="650"> <br> Written by two Registered Nurses. Terie is a liver and kidney transplant recipient, Geralyn is the sister who saved her life by giving her a kidney on February 17th, 2005. Information about receiving a transplanted organ and about being a living donor from two sisters who have been through it all and lived to tell the tale. Now with: All New Whining about dialysis.Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comBlogger2361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-31096218580926454712011-01-25T15:11:00.000-05:002011-01-25T15:11:30.410-05:00

I am still a vivarium of the absurd, even after all this time. I still have aspergillosis, although Vfend seems to be keeping it relatively tame with a whip and a chair. I have had MRSA a bunch of times, VRE (I got that in the hospital in California) and have had most other common nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections.  Every few months, my one and a half lungs become mysteriously inflamed

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-73512920444468216492011-01-15T20:21:00.003-05:002011-01-15T20:46:09.411-05:00

Don't get me wrong, Snowflakes. I really meant what I said about the two-overworked-RNs who ran my PD program at FMC. They are two very different and appealing personalities and I liked them both for different reasons. But they took their program very seriously and it was all personal. I am the wrong patient for what they offered. I also took off to the other side of the country for a month when

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-90838810976372122902011-01-05T00:18:00.002-05:002011-01-05T00:34:31.314-05:00

 First off:  あけましておめでとうございます。 今年もよろしくおねがいします!   (Akemashite  Omedeto Gozaimasu!) I did a twelve-week (give or take) stint on PD and had peritonitis for most of that time. I was either in the hospital or at home in bed for most of it. I spent a week in Ger’s place o’ business, Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where they treated me like Queenie Smith. Hello to my lovely nurses’ aide, Grace, who

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-15653902656041976792011-01-04T09:22:00.000-05:002011-01-04T09:22:07.975-05:00

...and everything good in 2011. I know that better things are on their way.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-51581495382547320742010-12-23T03:49:00.001-05:002010-12-23T19:04:38.268-05:00

Wow, I haven't been here in a very long time. Lots of that time has been spent as an inpatient in NYU, Overlook Medical Center and just recently, Somerset Medical Center. I'm back on hemodialysis and have been discharged from the joint, once again, in time for Christmas. Hope to get back here soon, if I can manage to stay home for a while. Happy Christmas and healthy 2011 to everyone out there.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-71341115106352655692010-05-18T19:57:00.000-04:002010-05-18T19:57:11.976-04:00

While I was typing the title, it occurred to me that you have no idea why I think the word inertia is as hilarious as it gets. When I was a college student riding the African Queen to downtown Brooklyn every day, I spent a chunk of my commute on a bus jam-packed with Bishop Ford High School students. If you have never ridden a NYC transit bus with schoolkids, think of a can of anchovies and you

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-23784112426751660712010-05-07T17:15:00.002-04:002010-05-07T17:27:32.706-04:00

So, I went to the hospital twice more; once to have my PD catheter placed and once to stop the prolonged bleeding of said catheter site. This time, I was in Overlook Hospital because that's where Dr. Klein sends his precious snowflakes. You may or may not remember so I will refresh: Dr. Klein is my NJ nephrologist  and my vascular surgeon was Dr. Marc Mandel  (one of the most intense people I

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-73992859503511215642010-03-23T13:35:00.002-04:002010-03-23T15:36:03.759-04:00

We went to Overlook Hospital yesterday, to meet Dr. Marc Mandel and see what he thought about placing a PD catheter in me. When he saw my huge liver transplant and smaller kidney transplant scars, he was kind of wary but is going to "go in there and look around" on Thursday and place the catheter if everything's ok. I know that my insurance company paid Dr. Maldonado thirty thousand dollars for

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-77865379334128715312010-03-23T01:51:00.001-04:002010-03-23T01:52:55.543-04:00

Our mother, Eleanor, is having surgery tomorrow. Please join us in praying for her rapid and complete return to health. Thanks so much!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-70004055044595966992010-03-20T20:47:00.001-04:002010-03-23T01:53:50.008-04:00

This is a brief, concise description of PD. This is a video of the insertion of the catheter used for peritoneal dialysis in an operating room. If you can't handle seeing an actual person being cut into, skip this one. It's pretty tame by surgical standards but I am aware that there are some people who can't watch the knife. You've been warned. Peritoneal dialysis using the Baxter Home

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-27420819505521015852010-03-20T12:27:00.004-04:002010-03-23T12:35:32.391-04:00

In the bizarro world of hemodialysis, the days melt one into the other. Three days a week, I perform the same tap dance with very few deviations. Wake up, take handful of poison, get ready to go. Provide Trixie with treats, boneys, lots of attention. She knows I'm going and she's against the idea. She tries to convince me that it would be in my best interest to stay home, where she can attach

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-37335417166639892432010-03-20T11:51:00.001-04:002010-03-23T01:54:41.148-04:00

Please remember our mom, Eleanor, in your prayers. She's having surgery this week and would surely benefit from prayers for her swift and complete return to health. Thank you!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-85732704789116980422010-03-11T00:58:00.001-05:002010-03-23T01:55:01.837-04:00

...relatives of the best friend of Kimmy's dad, Don are missing. Go HERE to learn more.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-52595650520247145542010-01-31T00:14:00.003-05:002010-01-31T21:46:45.131-05:00

"Israel's remarkable new steps to solve its organ shortage." I could get behind the idea of giving a token sum to an organ donor's family to memorialize the donor after death. I am strongly behind the idea that if you are willing to be an organ donor after death and you need an organ transplant during your life, you should get some small advantage over someone who isn't willing. I want my organs

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-34791283901666943302010-01-20T10:53:00.001-05:002010-01-20T10:54:21.409-05:00

Catholic Relief Services

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-46798308458928381492010-01-12T23:17:00.003-05:002010-01-12T23:21:17.105-05:00

Gerry and I had been talking on the phone about Kimmy's engagement ring for a few weeks. He had one picked out online, sent it to me and asked my opinion of it. I told him that I could never give an opinion of a diamond that I couldn't look at under the loupe, but that it was a pretty ring. And, it was. Something made us hesitate to order it, however and boy, were we glad we didn't. A few weeks

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-61800649217483601822010-01-12T18:30:00.004-05:002010-01-12T19:13:25.550-05:00

Dialysis has a bad reputation that is well-deserved. Since September, I have had to return to regular dialysis and to say that I hate it like a fat kid hates a salad is an understatement. It is often physically uncomfortable. It is a huge waste of time that I could spend more wisely boning a duck (get yer mind out of the gutter), watching Squidbillies, talking baby talk to my Doberman or even

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-4053709983441452232010-01-01T04:12:00.001-05:002010-01-01T04:13:18.900-05:00

...the year you become a hero!  Happy, healthy New Year  from The Transplant Sisters, with love.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-16117396447638295292009-12-25T02:31:00.001-05:002009-12-25T02:33:01.579-05:00

...are engaged! How lovely is that?

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-9045074728976836272009-12-24T15:36:00.003-05:002010-01-12T17:57:56.082-05:00

I can't believe it can be Christmas without my father. I can't think of anything to say that expresses how I feel this year better than that. We'll go through the motions for the kids and smile a lot, but the happiness of this particular holiday was all wrapped up in Dad and the one meal together that we look forward to all year. Christmas Eve is really our holiday and this year it is at Lauren's

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-13570328832602960812009-12-11T12:33:00.002-05:002009-12-11T12:37:10.742-05:00

Officer Bitchface's favorite Christmas Song.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-63351020652297432302009-10-31T15:19:00.021-04:002009-11-20T00:22:00.992-05:00

I've been away a long time and even briefly considered jettisoning this blog because I didn't want to write anymore. I don't know how much of the past months I'll be able to give any actual thought to - the worst things in the world happened to me again in quick succession and it is hard to look back on them. My Dad died suddenly, unbelievably at age sixty nine. Before I had time to even grieve

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-27348850138432363062009-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:002009-07-04T00:02:24.874-04:00

Please be safe.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-81058559221371016392009-06-19T20:06:00.001-04:002009-06-19T20:07:51.802-04:00

By Gennaro Desposito To most people a fig is an expensive, somewhat exotic fruit. The purple, tear-shaped exterior can seem uninviting. The rough, sand-papery skin can seem to be a warning: “do not eat”. Once one travels into this uncharted territory, stepping outside the bounds of one’s own comfort zone and ventures to take the first bite, the ripe sweetness of this ancient fruit

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-56918996803278224662009-06-15T04:30:00.004-04:002009-06-15T05:22:17.864-04:00

My father heard his mother calling him last night at 10 p.m. and went home to meet her. He was the kind of father and grandfather that everyone wishes for but few people actually get to call their own. There are no words to explain how shocking it is to me that the sun will come up tomorrow and the stars will come out at night without him here to hold the whole world together like he always has.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-78314612904949139322009-06-12T01:50:00.003-04:002009-06-12T02:01:41.823-04:00

Our father, Gennaro Mazza, is in the hospital again, critically ill and on the mechanical ventilator. Please join us in praying for his swift return to health. We don't care Who you pray to; your God or gods are just as good as ours when it comes right down to it. Dad and I have been prayed for during hospitalizations by people all over the world, of all possible denominations and it is my firm

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-2377680798627779572009-05-31T22:15:00.003-04:002009-05-31T22:19:49.685-04:00

...to Ger and Franci on their hard-earned BSN degrees!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-17115747019047363442009-04-17T13:12:00.003-04:002009-04-17T13:20:13.970-04:00

National Donate Life Month!Be a hero. Be an organ donor.Learn more HERE.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-37124638406416869582009-03-17T05:08:00.006-04:002009-05-19T11:23:29.882-04:00

My favorite organ continues to provide hours and hours of entertainment... probably because Jethro was not yet up and running when I had it repaired. Today is the 17th anniversary of the experimental embolization of my cerebral aneurysm. Today, this approach to the fixation of cerebral aneurysms and other bleeding in the brain is common and much safer than traditional brain surgery in many cases

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-72204934995296354722009-03-11T04:37:00.010-04:002009-03-11T19:24:02.135-04:00

The mom of a New York City Police Officer died of acute kidney failure this week. She did the sadly familiar "JFK" to "RWJ" shuffle, in the interest of finding out what was wrong with her body. By the time she was diagnosed, it was too late for this frightened fellow kidney disease patient and mom. Her son is my sister's friend and a few weeks ago, Officer Bitchface called me to make sure it was

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-81260736722069123122009-02-17T09:03:00.008-05:002009-02-24T16:59:29.886-05:00

Today is Kidney Day. Four years ago, Ger gave me Lefty and rescued me from a life in the Big Pink Chair. Lefty has been through a lot since then but is still hanging on like a trooper. Later today, I'm going to NYU to see Dr. Sloane for the first time since I was discharged from the hospital, so I'll actually be at the scene of the big kidney transfer on the anniversary of Kidney Day.Hi Ger!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-21610880303464227862009-02-04T14:04:00.018-05:002009-03-11T19:25:40.411-04:00

Although I never thought I'd be able to say this again, I'm happy to announce that I am able to walk up and down the stairs in my house on my own legs. I still need to use the big black cane at this point, but once in a while, I allow myself to envision a time when I won't. This is a considerable improvement over the first time I attempted to walk up the five steps to my front door on the day I

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-24552353052757367372009-02-02T00:48:00.004-05:002009-02-24T17:00:05.999-05:00

Liverman and I have been together for ten years.Today is our anniversary.On February 2, 1999, a 25-year-old man from the Bronx gave me his liver and saved my life.You can be a lifesaver, too!LifesharersDonate LifeLiving DonorOrgan Donor

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-60893352561641770132008-12-31T21:10:00.004-05:002009-02-24T17:00:35.710-05:00

Terie and Ger wish everyone a year filled with love, laughter and good health.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-7076438674095211972008-12-30T18:19:00.012-05:002009-02-24T17:00:58.455-05:00

Just wanted to let the whole world know how proud I am of Aunt Ger, who will be graduating from CalState Fullerton with straight A's in May 2009. Ger had a cardiac-related ER visit and brief hospitalization for cardiac cath shortly after returning home from taking care of me at NYU and I'm still trying to get her to write something about her experience as a patient at her own hospital. With all

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-23647796141368650242008-12-29T01:45:00.022-05:002009-03-11T19:22:43.345-04:00

I'm going to come clean here and admit that I did not pay adequate attention to the whole "lung"portion of the program when I was a student nurse and actually would have done anything to avoid having to suffer through the associated lectures. There is very little that is sexy about breathing - it's a thing we don't think much about because we're designed to do it whether we want to or not. Which

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-80825995521406496432008-12-24T11:51:00.005-05:002009-02-24T17:01:57.490-05:00

Last week, I was a body in an ICU bed at NYU Langone Medical Center. Two immobile months of mechanical ventilation, surgeries and despair are behind me and I am home to celebrate God's birthday with the people who love me. I am learning to walk with the help of a walker and a wonderful physical therapist. Lauren Order stopped in last night to give me a lovely wheelchair, a gift from someone I

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-41987343882791849462008-12-21T18:31:00.003-05:002009-02-24T17:02:31.179-05:00

...and one of the many reasons it's great to be upright and breathing, My Chemical Romance.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-73249972438141532692008-12-18T19:58:00.007-05:002009-03-11T19:36:40.106-04:00

I have not updated this little fiasco in almost the exact amount of time I spent in the hospital for my latest admission. I returned home on Monday, December 15th and am now in the early stages of learning how to walk again. I'm unable to talk about this illness and hospitalization. I don't know if I will ever be able to revisit it here, except to say this:Thank you Dr. Sloane, Dr. Benstein, Dr.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-13356091742367363272008-10-13T18:08:00.008-04:002009-02-24T16:58:44.339-05:00

When I finally did go home, it was with a PICC and a visiting nurse to monitor my IV med administration and PICC care techniques. In an upcoming post, I'll tell you what it was like to have the PICC placed, to be my own IV team and to drag the whole Eraxis side show on a jet airplane to visit my other half (see picture). Once in California, I traveled mainly by Joe-powered wheelchair because I

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-47716357063249315922008-10-10T23:43:00.009-04:002009-02-21T22:30:37.089-05:00

Gerry is moving to California in a week and all I want to do is cry.I can't remember a time in Gerry's childhood when he wasn't writing a script, making little sets from cardboard and cereal boxes, setting fire to something in the backyard (for the big "everything blows up and then burns to cinders" scene), figuring out a budget in his terrible, elementary school handwriting or actually shooting

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-43570447141835007152008-10-07T23:27:00.046-04:002009-02-21T22:35:02.053-05:00

I did well for a few days after the surgery. Dr. Zervos ended up doing a right middle lobectomy, thereby removing The Lungus and all associated muck... several other types of organism were discovered to be in hiding there in addition to the aspergillus. What set me up for this infectious clusterfuck was my bovine patch. When my lung was punctured during a poor attempt to intubate me (by some D.O.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-46797552515237505052008-10-03T21:47:00.012-04:002009-02-21T17:15:14.354-05:00

As soon as we hit the narrow hallway of the very familiar surgical floor, my heart began to make a sincere effort to vacate my chest. Thinking about it now, I feel a bit of that adrenaline rush and have to get up and move around to expend it. I have never had a traumatic surgical experience that I know of but this fact has failed to make presenting myself to be carved up like a Christmas ham any

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-4561368370957025352008-10-03T00:54:00.003-04:002008-10-03T01:29:19.169-04:00

...by The Faint. This goes out to the teenage supergeniuses at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Get to work on regenerated solid organ isograft transplantation, y'all. If anyone can do it, you can.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-45235404314033888822008-09-24T22:55:00.025-04:002009-02-21T22:41:48.459-05:00

Every time I think about writing a post on my two hospitalizations and the surgery to remove the right middle lobe of my lung, I'm filled with dread. I have a sketchy memory of the whole fiasco overall and can't recall some events or the dates of anything, so I will probably sound like a dumbass throughout the recounting. Which is not to say that I normally sound like a rocket surgeon; just

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-76281209770302094102008-09-19T23:10:00.014-04:002008-10-14T18:51:02.032-04:00

The Cure comes from the medicine,and the art of medicine originates in charity.Hence, to be cured is not a work of Faith but one of sympathy.The true ground of medicine is love.- ParacelsusWhen I visited Dr. Mark Sloane's office for the first time after my August discharge from NYU, he greeted me with a great big smile and said, "It's not every day that a dead person walks into my office". How

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-65762186962038549782008-09-11T16:02:00.042-04:002008-10-14T18:51:43.471-04:00

"Skylines and Turnstiles" by Gerard Way, who witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center firsthand and composed this song as a way to help him deal with the trauma of having seen the unimaginable. Cathartic and powerful, the song was the first in the catalog of a band which would become My Chemical Romance. America needs a few nights in a dirty rock club, banging our heads in unison to this.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-24292691366652550012008-09-04T15:25:00.008-04:002008-10-14T18:52:20.858-04:00

I'm breathing in and out but oh, so tired after ten days at Aunt Ger's house (two weeks after my stay at Robert Wood Johnson following a seizure, probably related to my course of IV Eraxis at home). I finished Eraxis on the day we flew out to Rancho Santa Margarita and I am now proudly PICC-free. It feels great to be wireless! Now that I'm home, all I want to do is get on a plane and fly back to

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-46641225624830284332008-07-24T10:01:00.006-04:002008-10-14T18:52:54.278-04:00

Just wanted to let y'all know that I am, like GlaDOS, still alive and have been in NYU Langone Medical Center cheating Joe Black for the the last few weeks. More about my latest adventure when I'm able. I'm so grateful to be home.Cheers!Terie

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-59455173931421331002008-06-16T04:01:00.011-04:002008-10-14T18:53:23.337-04:00

So, on to Dr. Wetherbee, the Nice Armenian Grandma and the CT scan. The last time I visited Dr. Sloane (the pulmonologist), I was in some trouble for not having seen Dr. Wetherbee yet. I told him that he could not imagine how very tired I was of looking at doctors, but he was not moved. So, I made an appointment and made the required pilgrimage to gaze upon the infectious diseases dude last week.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-53728278463007640412008-06-14T18:54:00.017-04:002008-10-14T18:54:25.433-04:00

I went to NYU see Dr. Roger Wetherbee (the infectious diseases specialist) and to have a follow up CT scan of my chest on Wednesday. I'm still wrestling with the two kinda grim choices I was presented with for the annihilation of the Lungus; it's proving to be a fairly difficult thing to get rid of without some additional, fancier suffering and I'm feeling something mighty close to grief at the

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-35832975539450793422008-06-06T20:04:00.004-04:002008-12-09T00:23:42.566-05:00

Amnesty International, via Ads of the World.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-30202536524791393332008-05-16T04:10:00.006-04:002008-12-09T00:23:42.709-05:00

Today is Gerry's college graduation day. I have been awake all night. I couldn't sleep the night before his first day of Pre-K, either. I was so afraid that he'd lose his mind when he realized that I wasn't coming with him and that I'd have to leave when school started. He gave me a little wave goodbye at the door of Room 3 and didn't look back. I was glad he didn't, because I was crying. I'll

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-89521731087669647012008-05-08T16:02:00.018-04:002008-10-14T18:56:22.903-04:00

This is as good a time as any to review our policy regarding medical information on the web. It's all over this blog in little schizophrenic snippets and high time we did an entire post about who we are, what we believe and how it relates to you: -Terie and Ger are Registered Professional Nurses. Terie is registered in NY and NJ. Ger is registered in NY and CA. We are not doctors and more

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-71934464869949580002008-05-07T23:42:00.012-04:002008-10-02T04:08:17.315-04:00

To the person who found this blog with the search query "Can I have an MRI with Berenstein Coils in my body?":-Call the doctor who installed the coils and ASK HIM (or her)! This will probably be an interventional radiologist at the hospital where your procedure was done. If you are unsure about exactly who placed the coils in you, call the hospital and find out.-Call your primary care physician

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-31070418804048209282008-05-03T18:29:00.004-04:002008-10-02T04:08:40.787-04:00

Gerry's baby. Now, to find funding for the the full-length feature. Head over to YouTube and see it on the big screen.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-14293512368832744652008-05-02T17:27:00.005-04:002008-12-09T00:23:43.007-05:00

Some production stills and a few pictures of the Rammiesare up on the picture blog. Click a picture to check them out.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-39172939191649032552008-04-19T15:20:00.004-04:002008-04-19T15:50:37.142-04:00

Vfend: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Sporanox: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Myfortic: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Prograf: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Rapamune: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Cellcept: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Neoral: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Sandimunne: Index of Published Studies (abstracts)Gengraf: Index of

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-18852549764082301752008-04-01T17:55:00.023-04:002008-10-02T04:31:52.665-04:00

So, I spent yesterday in Manhattan in a sort of transplant center-My Chemical Romance-GlaDOS-pulmonology extravaganza. These days, the only time I ever get to be alone with Uncle Joe is when we're going to a doctor's office, rushing to a hospital or going to the lab for bloodwork. Which is most of what we did yesterday, Joe having taken the day off from work to haul me to NYU and to my first

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-79767500363083875782008-03-23T00:46:00.001-04:002008-12-09T00:23:43.108-05:00

Symbolum Nicaeno-ConstantinopolitanumCredo in unum Deum Patrem omnipotentem; factorum coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula [Deum de Deo], Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri; per quem omnia facta sunt; qui propter nos homines et propter

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-25757398365108890742008-03-22T20:45:00.014-04:002008-12-09T00:23:43.578-05:00

Dad's recipeDad's recipe.Recipe from Naples.Most of the eggs either cracked or blew up in the oven. It scared the hell out of me. I have no idea why it happened. This was my first attempt at making bread for Easter; I tried it because I won't be able to go to Brooklyn and eat the real thing (dad's). I think it turned out pretty good for a first try. My house smells like my grandmother's did

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-9014317379130149272008-03-22T17:18:00.006-04:002008-12-09T00:23:43.874-05:00

Hi Ger, this is for you!Oh, and the Kidney Princess called this afternoon;my creatinine is down to 1.7.Lefty's on the rebound!Yay!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-42362251311706960252008-03-21T22:06:00.003-04:002008-12-09T00:23:44.037-05:00

For God so loved the world,that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish,but have everlasting life.-John 3:16

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-28552313264546876422008-03-20T14:31:00.018-04:002008-12-09T00:23:44.136-05:00

This is the Jacopo Bassano Last Supper, painted in the 16th century. I love it because these are guys I recognize: hard-working men, most with very Italian faces, unpretentious even to the point of bare feet at this rustic table. They gesticulate in a very familiar way; they are in each other's spaces, close together in a manner that would make most Americans take a step backwards (unless they

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-47919248393738033152008-03-18T12:46:00.008-04:002008-12-09T00:23:44.296-05:00

March 17 and 18th, 1992.Believe it or not, it still works.Three cheers for modern science!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-4908059555239227812008-03-14T20:25:00.021-04:002010-01-24T19:58:02.267-05:00

So, back to aspergillus, then. Some interesting statistics about the incidence of aspergillosis broken down by country can be found at CureResearch.com. Signs and Symptoms of Aspergillosis: 1) Allergic Brochopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) -wheezing -worsening asthma, increased inhaler use -cough with blood -fever -general "unwell" feeling (malaise) 2)

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-90017966429691042062008-03-13T01:04:00.043-04:002008-10-02T14:35:56.532-04:00

I just got home from spending five wasted hours JFK's emergency room. My health insurance deductible for an emergency room visit is $500.00, so it was an expensive few hours that should not have been necessary. Here's how it happened.Last night, around 3:30 am, I started coughing blood. I had a little bit of a cough during the day and while it worried me that the cough had returned, it wasn't

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-78374173482589133172008-03-11T23:30:00.012-04:002008-12-09T00:23:44.489-05:00

The word "aspergillus" sounds as if it were the species designation of a type of decorative fern, as in, "Do you have any idea how I'm supposed to take care of this aspergillus? I got it at the Home Depot while Joe was wallowing in the electric drills". The sad truth is, I'm like the black plague of ferns. They wilt when I walk by.An unexpected delight of studying to be a nurse was learning all

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-31083674399894140462008-03-06T20:04:00.045-05:002008-12-09T00:23:44.633-05:00

Vfend (voriconazole) is the white, film-coated, capsule-shaped, completely innocent-looking enemy of the Lungus, which will treat my aspergillus to a grisly death. Every last one of them (if it does not kill me first). Vfend was "approved by the FDA for the treatment of deadly fungal infections" (Centerwatch) in May 2003; it has been kicking ass and chewing bubblegum ever since. The

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-21787271298420732342008-03-01T18:42:00.004-05:002008-10-02T21:53:47.578-04:00

"The rules were simple: Using no words or images, interpret your Ph.D. thesis in dance form. Entrants were divided into three categories — graduate student, postdoc, and professor — and the prize for each was a year's subscription to Science." Stuck in the lab this weekend? Take a break and visit John Bohannon's Dancing Scientists, at Science Magazine. You need a laugh.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-38743622356299685512008-02-27T01:45:00.005-05:002008-12-09T00:23:44.802-05:00

...with transplant meds.(that's the Hello Kidney prototype)

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-33811418706751391702008-02-25T07:44:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:45.046-05:00

I knew I was in trouble when Trixie started performing the "Laying-on of Bones", a sort of pagan ceremony in which she gathers all of her disgusting, dead-cow bones and places them on me wherever she can reach. Then, she walks to a spot in front of the living room windows, sits down, tilts her head to one side and looks at me for as long as she can manage before being overcome with the desire

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-88645916065362833932008-02-23T23:51:00.017-05:002008-12-09T00:23:45.402-05:00

Business as usual: relax, eat, drink, dismember the blanket. Trixie is an eight-year-old natural-eared, docked Doberman. We got her when she was just one, from the Delaware Valley Doberman Pinscher Association. Visit them and check out the wonderful Dobies that need a good home and the love of a good family. Rescue dogs know how lucky they are to have found a good home with you and will never

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-21806995533574649802008-02-23T01:21:00.004-05:002008-12-09T00:23:45.562-05:00

Mike's fondest hope came true today when Dunellen High School closed for a long-awaited snow day. More pictures of the weather I hate the most are on the picture blog.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-44577323713143410792008-02-18T00:37:00.007-05:002008-12-09T00:23:45.728-05:00

I almost forgot Kidney Day (and did forget Liver Day) but Ger reminded me when I talked to her earlier tonight. I am in the midst of an epic battle with pulmonary aspergillosis, an opportunistic infection of immunocompromised people and have been spending most of my time either in the hospital, at the lab for blood tests or carefully breathing in and out. That's still no excuse for not

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-26088588173657449962008-01-11T03:49:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:45.956-05:00

This is our father's mother, Cira Ferrantino Mazza. Yesterday, she had her 100th birthday in heaven.When I was little, my grandparents' friends would pinch my face and tell me how much I looked like my grandmother. I thought that they meant I looked like an old lady. The older I get, the more I see what they saw all those years ago. I hope to be the same kind of grandmother... substantial,

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-28966192108221900962008-01-03T23:20:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:46.084-05:00

Oh, how I wish I could dive headfirst into this picture and be the girl with the Bahamas flag on her nails tonight. It's so cold in New Jersey. I don't know why my grandparents, coming from Italy and England all those years ago, didn't opt for the slightly longer boat ride to some more southerly destination. I hate the cold weather, the holidays, snow, winter coats, the whole mess repels me.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-28113871081365276472007-12-27T03:18:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:46.688-05:00

Ger and Greta2007 treeRebecca and Gerry in BrooklynEndless MikeAs usual, more pictures can be found on the picture blog.A link to it is on the right.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-86166452099402619762007-12-24T01:23:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:46.959-05:00

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-71609236697382391862007-11-22T12:56:00.000-05:002007-12-24T02:40:10.963-05:00

In loving memory of Alfredo (Fred-the-Fish) Fischetti, I present a poem that Gerry wrote to annoy me with when he was in high school.Fred is dead(and so is Bob)he was hit on the headby a rusty doorknobthat was the day the monkey diedshe was my friend.Fred, a native of Staten Island, is survived by his longtime companion, Beebs. He was buried at sea shortly after discovery. In lieu of flowers,

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-50116078242179948432007-11-21T21:12:00.001-05:002008-12-09T00:23:47.130-05:00

In the words of Tom Hanks, as Joe in Joe Versus the Volcano, "Dear God, whose name I do not know... thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life."I hope y'all have a Thanksgiving filled with love, good food and light on the fisticuffs.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-66026363936183812162007-11-15T18:52:00.000-05:002007-11-22T12:49:13.606-05:00

Dear Officer Bitchface, I hope that you are all having a wonderful time in the even more wonderful, magical World of Disney. We are almost all fine. Today is Trixie's birthday and she's getting her favorite present - a bowl full of cooked-just-for-her beef chunks. Ozzy misses everyone and he ate almost all of his crickets as soon as you left, in a burst of emotional consumption most likely

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-82574105558304181112007-11-04T17:11:00.000-05:002007-11-04T17:13:09.153-05:00

Har!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-3603585569712165122007-11-02T01:25:00.000-04:002007-11-02T01:27:44.614-04:00

Happy Belated Birthday and thanks for everything. Love,Terie

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-31908204507545758692007-10-25T20:29:00.001-04:002008-12-09T00:23:47.501-05:00

Ger took this picture from her front door last night. The fires closest to her house are believed to have been deliberately set by an arsonist. It looks like Ger's neighborhood (Rancho Santa Margarita) is going to be ok... it looked pretty bad for a couple of nights, but the wind has shifted and the fire fighters are slowly gaining control. Thank God.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-28463583077674482692007-10-23T22:31:00.001-04:002008-12-09T00:23:47.766-05:00

I wouldn't trade Mike for anything you could name.No, not even that.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-80542706413453481212007-10-22T17:35:00.001-04:002008-12-09T00:23:47.864-05:00

Mike was confirmed yesterday at St. John the EvangelistChurch in Dunellen, NJ.He turned sixteen at 11:40 this morning.A few more pictures can be seen HERE.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-15396475335293411112007-09-21T14:56:00.000-04:002007-09-22T16:40:09.428-04:00

According to an editor's note posted on Jerry Brewer's Seattle Times Reporter's Journal, Gloria Strauss got her wings (and her long-awaited miracle) this morning. You can read the Strauss family's statement about her passing on Gloria's Site.In Mark Twain's Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven, the Captain has recently arrived in Heaven and is trying to get his bearings. Having secured his

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-15122499527879050992007-09-18T15:36:00.000-04:002008-12-09T00:23:47.999-05:00

Like St. Joan (the Maid of Orleans), Gloria Strauss (the Maid of Federal Way) is a young girl engaged in an epic battle. Click the picture to read Jerry Brewer's series about Gloria, her family and their amazing faith.It will change your life.Neuroblastoma links:Resources for newly diagnosed patients and their families.Neuroblastoma at the National Cancer Institute.Sloan-Kettering Neuroblastoma

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-16188297883488955912007-09-10T15:46:00.000-04:002007-09-10T20:52:37.156-04:00

You called me last night on the telephoneAnd I was glad to hear from you 'cause I was all aloneYou said, "It's snowing, it's snowing!God, I hate this weather."Now I walk through blizzards just to get us back togetherWe met in the springtime at a rock-and-roll showIt was on the Bowery when it was time to goWe kissed on the subway in the middle of the nightI held your hand, you held mine,it was

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-19954508455119390142007-07-19T21:58:00.000-04:002007-07-20T16:27:32.992-04:00

Ger kinda yelled at me on the phone recently about not having posted anything for a while but for the past few months, I've either been without a computer or involved in things I wouldn't memorialize here (if I can't type anything nice, I tend to type nothing at all). After my first laptop died, I bought an HP monster loaded with the execrable Windows Vista, which crashed and refused to reboot

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-31315474824811722282007-04-16T23:01:00.000-04:002008-12-09T00:23:48.144-05:00

As the mom of a live-away college student, I'm devastated by the bloodbath that took place at Virginia Tech. No analysis will be sufficient to explain all those broken kids or the rage that was vented on so many innocents today. In the face of this unknowable evil, there is nothing to do but pray for the victims and the people who mourn them. We're so sorry for your loss.

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-43895684871094654862007-04-07T16:00:00.000-04:002008-12-09T00:23:48.441-05:00

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-7921149974004141662007-03-08T14:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T00:23:48.617-05:00

Click the World Kidney Day logo to visit the official website.And, don't forget to be especially good to your kidneys today!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-45184497032728187772007-02-22T18:43:00.000-05:002007-02-23T19:09:46.892-05:00

Help Professor Vijay S. Pande and the Pande Group at Stanford University by donating your computer's extra processor cycles to Folding@home. Click HERE to download their distributed computing program and get started. The program allows Stanford researchers to use your computer (I've been running it since yesterday and don't notice any difference in performance) as part of a huge project designed

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-91822660762913615642007-01-01T19:21:00.000-05:002008-12-09T00:23:49.128-05:00

...is off to a lovely start. Hope your holidays were wonderful!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-68437197964937914032006-12-27T13:23:00.000-05:002008-12-09T00:23:49.540-05:00

So this is late: Happy Christmas! Healthy New Year!

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-57741054958812107782006-12-14T22:49:00.000-05:002008-12-09T00:23:49.687-05:00

...from GENEROUS GEMS is the perfect gift for organ donors and the people who love them, organ transplant recipients and anyone else who wants to raise awareness of the desperate need for organ donations. I got one of their gorgeous bracelets for Ger last Christmas and she really loved it! She also has the 14k and emerald awareness ribbon pendant - it's a beautiful, substantial piece and it looks

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-40153395200056470882006-12-14T22:03:00.000-05:002008-12-09T00:23:49.847-05:00

Xerox, our Dad's company for most of his adult life, has a website that makes it easy for anyone to send our American servicemen and women a postcard. Here's their mission statement, from LET'S SAY THANKS:"The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11719282.post-87284822432827786592006-12-14T01:59:00.000-05:002006-12-14T03:19:51.954-05:00

I remember thinking, as I looked through the "Holiday Diet" booklet that my nutritionist at the dialysis unit gave me, that the worst indignity (I mean, aside from the actual dialysis) of my whole acute renal failure escapade was the fact that I had to follow some kind of miserable diet. I expected to be sitting at the Christmas Eve dinner table with a plate of lettuce and Renagel in front of me

Teriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618270191222693957noreply@blogger.com